Action in the Arena

I have talked about being on the sidelines or outside the arena. I have mentioned the mindset to be in the arena. I have mentioned what it means, at least to me, to be in the arena, but I have not spoken more specifically about what participating in the arena looks like. After all, you can be at the party and make it in the door but never hit the dance floor.

So, how do we participate in the arena?

How do we know if we are participating or sidelining ourselves?

How do we push ourselves or change ourselves from being on the sidelines to participating in the arena?

What are some of the signs that help us to see where we are and where we need to make a change?

I think all these things can be answered with a simple question:

Are we working toward what we say we want, and are we doing what is required?

As people have said before, if you aren't doing the thing, then you are not doing the thing, which means you are not participating. If you want to play tennis, but you aren't playing tennis, then you are not playing tennis. Studying tennis is not playing tennis. Following tennis players on social media is not playing tennis. Talking about playing tennis is not playing tennis. Postponing playing tennis is not playing tennis. All that is being on the sidelines.

What I have started to do with myself is ask myself if I am participating, doing the thing, or am I just thinking about it or whatever. I tell myself when I am anxious or nervous to get in the arena, to participate in the arena, and I tell myself I am in the arena. I think the biggest obstacle many people face, if you are like me, is that we put so much significance on the decision and the outcome, and we spend so much time in the thinking, planning, and procrastinating phase that we don't do the thing, or we take forever to make a move.

I don't know about you, but the idea of being in the arena and participating in the arena is empowering. I can't help but feel like a gladiator getting ready to go up against a beast and win. I think the mentality is empowering because the more you take action, the more you increase your self-trust. I feel that you begin to move from forcing yourself to do to trusting yourself to do and be fine with what happens.

Overall, action in the arena is doing the thing you say you were going to do and then building self-trust so you feel more empowered and confident in what you are trying to do, and you keep doing it, especially when the adrenaline kicks in and what I could think is the natural dopamine. I think you then desire to enter the arena more regularly.

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